SBU General Serhiy Duka brandished a pistol and destroyed equipment: NABU reveals search details

A confrontation that nearly escalated into an armed clash between law enforcement officers occurred during investigative actions at the suburban house of Serhiy Duka, First Deputy Head of the SBU Department for the Protection of National Statehood. Oleksandr Abakumov, Head of the NABU Detective Department, revealed details of that day, when the general brandished a pistol and destroyed equipment with a hammer, in the "UP CHAT" programme on the "Ukrainska Pravda" YouTube channel.

Weapon threats and attempts to block entry

According to Abakumov, investigators arrived at the address to conduct a search based on a lawful court order. Several fighters from the NABU Special Operations Directorate were involved to ensure the safety of the operation. The situation intensified when an NABU special forces operative attempted to climb over the fence to open the gate. At that moment, unidentified individuals aimed a weapon with a laser sight at him and threatened to open fire to kill.

The building's windows were occupied by two SBU fighters armed with automatic rifles, while General Duka himself appeared in a second-floor window, holding a pistol in his hands. The detective recalled that he repeated through a loudspeaker: "Це Національне антикорупційне бюро України, ми правоохоронці. Ми не становимо небезпеки для життя та здоров’я людей, які знаходяться всередині. Ось моє посвідчення, ось ухвала. Не створюйте небезпечну ситуацію, націлюючи зброю на співробітників інших правоохоронних органів" (This is the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, we are law enforcement officers. We do not pose a threat to the life and health of the people inside. Here is my ID, here is the order. Do not create a dangerous situation by aiming weapons at employees of other law enforcement agencies).

Destruction of evidence and special unit intervention

Since SBU representatives did not engage, the general ran out onto the balcony and began destroying equipment. According to NABU data, two phones were completely destroyed and one hard drive was destroyed. After this, three minivans filled with armed employees of the SBU "Alfa" special unit arrived at the scene. Their behaviour was characterised as aggressive.

According to the anti-corruption bureau's assessment, the security forces were studying the location of the detectives in order to repel them and evacuate the general. A shooting between the two special services was avoided only thanks to prolonged negotiations and the arrival of Serhiy Duka's lawyers. The official was subsequently detained.

Recording of bribe transfer

Oleksandr Abakumov also stated that during the operation, detectives managed to record the transfer of four crypto wallets to the general. The total amount of funds was approximately three million dollars. Duka received this bribe in exchange for a commitment, through the Office of the Prosecutor General, to lift the arrest on the funds of the drug syndicate "Khimprom".